Chapter 106 - 101: Heavy Rain, Flooded Streets

Chapter 106: Chapter 101: Heavy Rain, Flooded Streets

On a rainy day, doing nothing but lying in bed for a good sleep is incredibly cozy. Unfortunately, he could only dream about it.

At this time, Chen Jingle missed the days before he was bound to the system, when he could slack off as much as he wanted and sleep all day without anyone saying a word. Now, he had to constantly follow the system’s schedule. He could ask for time off for errands, but taking a leave just to sleep in? Heh, that would bring on a nagging session worse than the Tang Monk chanting his sutras.

Waking up from his nap, the rain seemed to have lessened. Looking at the pattering drizzle outside the window, Chen Jingle felt exceptionally calm. The atmosphere felt perfect for some calligraphy and painting. Thus, his afternoon schedule shifted to studying calligraphy and painting.

He started by copying a calligraphy model—specifically, Zhao Mengfu’s "Leisure Residence Poem".

"Leisure Residence Poem" was originally an ode created by the Jin Dynasty literary figure Pan Yue, though later generations seemed to have their criticisms of it. Similar to Pan Yue’s situation, Zhao Mengfu was also a highly controversial historical figure; despite being a descendant of the Zhao Song Royal Family, he served as an official in the Yuan Dynasty. This work from his later years could be considered a rare masterpiece in his calligraphy career. Many also believed that he used this calligraphy piece as a way to reconcile and ease his own inner conflicts.

"Roaming proudly through the vast garden of ancient texts, treading the grand paths of past sages. Though my skin may be thick, inside I am still ashamed before Ning and Qu..."

The reason he chose to copy "Leisure Residence Poem" instead of the renowned "Lanting Collection" was simply because Chen Jingle felt his current state of mind was far from the ethereal elegance the Calligraphy Master possessed when he wrote it. Artistic creation relied heavily on one’s state of mind; it wasn’t something you could just do on command—even if it was a mere copy. If Chen Jingle wanted to copy Lanting in a serious manner, he had to ensure he was in peak condition.

If you don’t practice calligraphy, looking at The Two Kings is like a frog in a well looking at the moon; if you do practice calligraphy, looking at The Two Kings is like a mayfly gazing at the blue sky.

It was true that Zhao Mengfu was the great synthesizer of past dynasties, but his ancient style was also derived from The Two Kings. Some compared the relationship between the Elder King, the Younger King, and Zhao Mengfu to that of Buddha, Kashyapa, and Nagarjuna. Chen Jingle deeply agreed with this analogy.

In the art of calligraphy, the Elder King was supreme. The Younger King had deeply inherited his true teachings, and his attainments were on par with the Elder King. Meanwhile, Zhao Mengfu swept away the decadent state of calligraphy that had persisted since the Song Dynasty, reviving it for a second time under the banner of revering the ancients. In the past five hundred years, he stood alone in this achievement. To modern people, they all belonged to that tiny group standing at the absolute pinnacle of the nation’s calligraphy art. Learning from them was definitely the right path!

At some point, the wind outside had grown stronger.

Chen Jingle happened to pause his brush and looked out the window. A few taller longan trees were blown to the side, their leaves blowing with a loud RUSTLE. In the distance by the fields, several villagers were carrying hoes on their shoulders, braving the wind and rain as they jogged and walked briskly. They wanted to rush back to the village before the heavy rain hit to take shelter. Chen Jingle’s mind stirred, immediately struck by inspiration. He spread out a new sheet of paper.

One hour later.

A meticulous ink painting was successfully completed. Its main subjects featured trees swaying in the gale and pedestrians in the distance wearing bamboo hats and shouldering hoes, trudging forward with their heads bowed against the wind and rain. Chen Jingle named it "Returning Home from Farming in the Rain".

Among painters throughout history, creations based on the theme of wind and rain were not uncommon, with Song Dynasty works receiving the highest praise. Examples included Xia Gui’s "Seeking the Farm in the Rain", Li Di’s "Returning from Pasturing in the Wind and Rain", and Su Xianzu’s "Fengyu Guizhou Painting".

The poetry of the Song Dynasty has been celebrated for a thousand years, and the same applied to its paintings. After a millennium, we today can still feel the elegant freshness radiating from the paper. When it comes to Song paintings, the general public is perhaps most familiar with Zhang Zeduan’s "Qingming River Painting", but the dynasty’s greatest artistic achievements were actually in landscape painting—such as the blue-green style represented by "Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains".

It could be said that the Song Dynasty was a period of explosive growth—even a golden age—for ancient Chinese art, with Song paintings serving as its prime representative. This was especially true for the Song Dynasty’s meticulous painting genre, which remains unsurpassed to this day. It was precisely during this era that ink wash techniques emphasizing the charm of brush and ink—such as texturing, rubbing, dotting, and dyeing—first emerged.

Chen Jingle’s whimsical piece utilized a vast array of meticulous techniques, drawing heavily from the style of Song paintings to highlight a strict adherence to rules. He originally wanted to inscribe a poem on it, but couldn’t think of a suitable one on the spot, so he had to drop the idea. He didn’t even sign his name.

Even though it was a spur-of-the-moment creation, its quality still made it a masterpiece. Chen Jingle planned to set it aside to dry and see if any wealthy patron would take a fancy to it later. He would sell it for the right price. He had no choice; he was broke.

Despite having a small amount of savings, he couldn’t just sit back and eat away his fortune. In addition to cutting expenses, he had to find ways to increase his income. He didn’t expect to run into big bosses who understood and respected art like Li Beixing and Liu Deqiang every time. If he could sell it for a few thousand or ten thousand, that would actually be pretty good. After all, he lacked fame and wasn’t the prized disciple of a renowned master.

Seeing the rain growing heavier by the minute, Chen Jingle lost the mood to admire the weather. Checking the time, he went downstairs to cook.

For dinner, he continued to eat the leftover stewed beef from lunch. Chen Qiyun had been full of praise for the dish. Even though she had eaten quite a bit of the chilled cucumber salad as well, she had completely ignored it in her compliments. The chilled cucumber salad was going to get angry. Chen Jingle decided to make another portion of chilled cucumber salad tonight, just for himself.

On WeChat, Liang City sent a message: "It’s been raining all day, so annoying."

Chen Jingle had just finished washing the rice and putting it in the pot. He replied, "It’s been off and on over here, and now it’s getting heavy again. What about you?"

"It’s been pouring since the afternoon on my end. Looks like I’ll have to work overtime again tonight."

"What’s going on?"

"With the heavy rain, we have to handle flood control and prevention."

Chen Jingle was surprised. "Does your office have to go out and help too?"